For Immediate Release: Exhibition Dates: Now through April 30, 2006

Oakland Public Library Exhibit Looks Back at
When Oakland’s Cityscape was First Formed

(Oakland, CA) BuildingCity Beautiful: Mayor Mott's Oakland, an exhibit on display now through April 30, 2006 at the Oakland History Room of Oakland Main Library (125-14th Street), pays tribute to the influential 1905 to 1915 mayoral administration of Frank K. Mott. A century ago, the people of Oakland elected Frank K. Mott as mayor to guide the city into a new century. Incorporating the doctrines of the Progressive Movement and adhering to the principles of the nascent science of urban planning, Mott’s visionary leadership nurtured Oakland’s rapid transformation into a major American city on the Pacific Coast. The Oakland History Room honors his legacy with an exhibit of materials from its collections that illustrate Mott’s commitment, and his contributions, to the enduring cityscape of Oakland.

Scarcely one year into his administration, Mott – and the entire region – faced the nearly complete devastation of the city across the bay, when one of the largest earthquakes ever to strike the continent leveled much of San Francisco and set much more of it ablaze. Institutions across the state will recognize the centennial of that disaster as part of the 1906 Earthquake Centennial Alliance (see more at http://1906centennial.org/). The exhibit includes documents from that time – with souvenirs left to the library personally by the mayor – that show the energy and generosity displayed by East Bay residents in giving aid to dispossessed San Francisco. Items include copies of telegrams sent to and from the flaming ruins and a worn copy of the newspaper printed by The Oakland Tribune for its competitors across the bay whose newsrooms were on fire.

Mott’s energetic administration resulted in the city’s expansive park system, including the realization of Lake Merritt as an inner-city water park. It oversaw the development of an urban skyline along Broadway, including construction of Oakland City Hall, the tallest building west of Chicago when it was dedicated in 1914. At the same time, the city’s population was continuing its rapid increase, culminating in a real estate market that enjoyed the sale of a home in Oakland every six minutes.

Many of the items in the exhibit are among the personal effects of Mayor Mott, who left them to the library following his death. These and numerous photographs and other materials from the collections of the Oakland Public Library recall a city at the start of its ascent into prominence and honor the legacy of an the energetic, dedicated and honest politician who helped that happen.

For more information about this free exhibit, call (510) 238-3222, or see the Library's Web site: oaklandlibrary.org. The Oakland History Room is open Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10 am to 5:30 pm; Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 8 pm; Fridays from noon to 5:30 pm, and Sundays 1 to 5 pm. The Oakland Public Library is a department of the City of Oakland.

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